The present invention relates to a which value information and a bar code are recorded, and a card check method of checking if this card is valid.
A bar code area in which a message count and amount at the time of card issuance, information representing the code of a pattern printed on the upper surface of a card, and the like are printed as a bar code is generally formed on the lower surface of a public telephone prepaid card on which prepaid value information is magnetically recorded.
FIG. 5A shows an example showing the lower surface of such a card. Reference numeral 1 denotes a card, 11a and 11b, magnetic tracks formed on the lower surface of the card 1 and magnetically recorded with value information and the like; and 12, a bar code area in which a bar code 12a representing a pattern code, an amount, and the like is printed.
At the time of a sales transaction using this card 1, the bar code 12a in the bar code area 12 is read with a scanner using an optical sensor and recorded as bar code data. The pattern codes and amounts of the cards are respectively totalized on the basis of the stored bar code data, and the sums are used as sales data of the card selling company.
The reflectance of the bar code 12a in the bar code area 12 is standardized in advance so as to properly read the bar code 12a of the bar code area 12 with a scanner. For this reason, prior to printing of the bar code 12a in the bar code area 12, a background area 13 including the bar code area 12 is printed in white, and then the bar code 12a is recorded.
In the conventional card 1 described above, however, when value information recorded in the magnetic tracks 11a and 11b is destroyed due to some cause, the value information first assigned to the card 1 cannot be identified. To solve this problem, the present applicant has made extensive studies such that each of unique serial numbers different in units of cards is recorded in the magnetic tracks 11a and 11b in addition to the value information, and this serial number is recorded as a second bar code in an area different from the bar code area 12.
FIG. 5B shows an example in which such a second bar code area 14 recorded with such a serial number as a second bar code 14a is formed on the same surface as that of the first bar code area 12 of the card 1. In this manner, the second bar code area 14 is additionally formed on the card 1, and the serial number represented by the bar code 14a in the second bar code area 14 is managed. When the value information in the magnetic tracks 11a and 11b of the card 1 is destroyed, the relationship between the serial number and the value information of the card can be easily grasped.
The first bar code 12a representing the pattern code and amount of the card 1 and the second bar code 14a representing the serial number are arranged adjacent to each other in the same read direction. For this reason, when a salesperson reads the bar code With a scanner in a direction indicated by a double-headed arrow, he or she cannot identify whether the first or second bar code 12a or 14a is read. If the bar code 14a of the bar code area 14 is read, and the read data is added to the card sales totalization data, wrong sales data is sent to the card selling company.